Minneapolis May Ban New Drive-Thrus, Could St. Cloud Be Next?

They have drive-thru options for everything. Food, coffee, dry cleaning, pharmacies, banking, everything. But the city of Minneapolis may say "no more".

Fox 9 reported that the city is considering a ban on the construction of any new drive-thrus. City leaders say they don’t fit their vision for the future of Minneapolis as they work to reduce carbon emissions and increase density.

Drive-thrus encourage driving, which encourages pollution and encourages people to sit in their cars while they idle. They also take up space that city planners would rather use for development. The goal for the city is to accomplish carbon neutrality (or having a net zero carbon footprint) by 2050 and drive-thrus counter their efforts.

Until now, the city’s Planning Commission has considered drive-thrus on a case-by-case basis, but President of the Minneapolis Planning Commission says he believes it’s time for a policy change.
- Courtney Godfrey - Fox 9

Along with this proposal to eliminate new drive-thrus from happening, there is an option for businesses to have curb-side pickup services that would benefit disabled and elderly people that struggle to get in and out of vehicles. The Planning Commission is set to vote on the proposal June 3 and then it will then go to committee before a full city council vote.

I admire what Minneapolis is trying to do to cut down on carbon emissions. Will eliminating new drive-thrus work? On paper it looks good, but only time will tell. And if it does work, maybe St. Cloud will jump on the bandwagon next!